The 2009 NFL Scouting Combine is starting and for those, like me, who love everything NFL, it?s a great thing. It?s something to pay attention to while we wait for our fantasy football rankings to take shape once the rookies are figured into the equation. To be honest, most of what we?ll be watching is boring and repetitive. But there are certain things I look for from these future fantasy football prospects who will find a way onto cheat sheets come around fantasy football draft time.
 
 
Quarterbacks
 
 
1) How he holds the football. Does he hold it up at his shoulder, cocked and ready to release it immediately? Or does he hold it close to his chest and then cocks it once he identifies where he is throwing the ball? Those who have it up at their shoulders have a quicker release time and that split second of difference can mean the difference between an attempted pass and a sack. Also, I look to see whether he instinctively pats the football before getting ready to throw it. Patting the ball is a bad habit as it also means the ball is not cocked and ready to be released.
 
 
2) Where is the release point on his passes? Does he go over the top of his head like the arms of a clock? Does he throw it a little out to the side with his arm at an angle but still above his head? Or does he wing it with his arm at an angle reaching a height about equal to his head? Over the top is generally considered best as it gets the ball to maximum height when coming out of his hand to get over defenders trying to bat it down.
 
 
3) The velocity of the throw. How long does it take for the pass to get to the receiver? Does it zip out of his hand in a tight spiral and get to the receiver quickly? Or does it seem to hang in the air? The longer the ball is in the air, the more likely a defender will be able to make a play on it. Stronger armed QB?s usually have zip on all of their passes while those with weaker arms tend to lob their deeper passes. I also look to see if every pass a QB throws is a bullet. Some QB?s look like they?re trying to throw the ball through a brick wall, which usually makes it harder to catch. Great QB prospects have the ability to throw with velocity, but also touch, which makes it easier for a WR to catch it.
 
 
4) Footwork. How quickly does he drop back after the snap? We?ve seen it where a QB trips over an offensive lineman when starting to drop back because the lineman is moving quicker than the QB. This is usually a bigger area of concern for college QB?s who have played most of their snaps in shotgun styles of offense.
 
 
5) Size. Let?s be honest, a QB should be at least 6?1? and hopefully taller than that. He should also weigh more than 200 lbs. Shorter guys stand a better chance of having their passes batted down while lighter guys are less likely to hold up to the continual pounding from bigger defenders.
 
 
Running Backs
 
 
1) I hate to say it, but 40 yard dash time is first thing I look at. It isn?t everything, but it is important for a RB to have at least good speed. A time over 4.5 seconds is an indication he doesn?t have breakaway capability. In 2008, Chris Johnson (drafted by the Titans in round one last April) ran the 40 in 4.24 seconds. That?s rare speed and means he is a threat any time he has the ball in his hands. Guys who run in the 4.44-4.49 range are plenty fast for the NFL. Anything under that is a bonus. 4.50-4.56 is good enough, depending on the size of the player. Giants RB Brandon Jacobs measured 6?4?, 267 lbs at the NFL scouting combine in 2005 and ran the 40 yard dash in 4.56 (some stopwatches had him at 4.51, others at 4.60. Jacobs doesn?t have breakaway speed, but when he gets to full speed, his size makes him hard to bring down. Usually, anything over 4.56 means the player isn?t going to be able to have the necessary speed to be a consistent gainer. There are exceptions to that (former Broncos RB great Terrell Davis ran it in the 4.6ish range), but they are exceptions, and not the rule.
 
 
2) Size. Ideally a RB should be between 5?9?-6?1 and weigh between 215-225 lbs. 200-215 is okay, but a bit lighter than preferable and he will need to have speed in the sub 4.49 category. Guys who weigh less than 200 lbs will have durability issues more often than not and usually don?t pan out as feature guys instead becoming situational players like 3rd down RB?s and change of pace runners. Guys who weigh more than 230 lbs need to have at least good speed, or they are likely to be just short yardage/goal line runners. There are exceptions, but it?s pretty much a good rule of thumb to follow.
 
 
Wide Receivers
 
 
Just like with RB?s, speed and size is important. Taller WR?s make bigger targets for QB?s. Faster WR?s are more dangerous and have that ability to become #1 guys for their team. Slower guys usually make for possession style WR?s. WR?s that weigh more than 220 lbs need to have speed or they just become depth guys more often than not. Ideally, a WR should be between 6?0?-6?4?, 200-225 lbs and run the 40 in less than 4.47 seconds. Those are the traits of a future great WR. Shorter, lighter guys (like Steve Smith in Carolina) can still develop into top notch WR?s, but they are the exception and not the rule.
 
 
1) How he catches the ball. Does he extend his elbows and reach out to catch the ball with his hands or does he keep his elbows in close to his body and catch it in his chest or in his forearms? The former is a sign of a great potential WR with sure hands while the latter is what is commonly referred to as a ?body catcher?. Ideally, a WR will make what is known as a ?triangle? with his thumbs and forefingers from both hands so the point of the ball lands in that triangle and his hands wrap around it. Body catchers tend to catch the ball by cradling it into their bodies. WR?s who body catch will look a ball into their bodies only to see it bounce off their chest or shoulder. A WR with great hands reaches out and snatches the pass out of the air and brings the ball back into his body after catching it.
 
 
2) How he adjusts to the pass. Some guys are masters of catching the ball over the shoulder. They usually can?t make the triangle I referred to when catching this way, but they still extend their arms and reach out to grab the ball. Being able to judge whether a pass is coming over the inside shoulder or outside shoulder and making the correct body adjustment so they can reach out for it is critical. If a WR is consistently reaching out in the wrong direction, it is a sign to me that he doesn?t read the ball well when it is in the air.
 
 
These are the things I will be watching for during the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine. These things are indicators of what type of impact he will have when he is eventually taken in the 2009 NFL Draft or where he?ll place in 2009 fantasy football rankings. More important is how a player has performed in games. Some guys play faster when they are wearing the pads. Some guys don?t play up to their timed speed. Some weaker armed QB?s make up for it by being very accurate and being able to read a defense while some strong armed QB?s try to throw the ball too hard every play or have poor recognition skills and pocket presence. Some RB?s read blocks better than others and can make up for a lack of great speed while some have the speed but tend to run up on their blockers by not having the patience to let a hole develop. Some WR?s can have the best technique when it comes to catching a pass, but look to turn and run with the ball before making sure they?ve caught it. Those are all things you won?t see by watching the combine. You can only see them by watching the film and reading what the real insiders say about a player.